Your Right to Know

Food and serving equipment contaminated with live maggots have been found at two Ohio
prisons.

Aramark Correctional Services, the private company that feeds inmates under a $110 million state
contract, said maggots found at the Ohio Reformatory for Women at Marysville on June 30 were “one
issue that was resolved last week.”

However, reports obtained by
TheDispatch show two previous incidents of maggots, which are fly larvae, at prisons earlier
this year.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction confirmed that on June 30, a “hot box was
found to have maggots” in the Marysville prison, where most female prisoners in the state are
housed. Prison spokeswoman Jo Ellen Smith said contaminated food was not served to inmates.

An incident report said a maggot was found in a turkey roll being sliced for the evening meal at
the prison. An Aramark food-service assistant manager then checked the serving tray and found “a
couple of live maggots present,” so the food was thrown away.

A report from June 24 said live maggots were found “falling out of a warming tray” at the
Trumbull Correctional Institution in Leavittsburg, Ohio.

Maggots also were reported in food-serving lines at the Marysville prison on Jan. 10 and 11.

“We’ve made clear (to) Aramark how seriously we take these allegations,” Smith said about the
reports. “They have taken actions, including bringing in a third-party company to inspect
food-service operations.”

Karen Cutler, director of corporate communications for Philadelphia-based Aramark, said in
response to the June 30 complaint, “It was discovered prior to any meals being served, and our
third-party auditor was on site at the facility to ensure it meets our high standards for safety
and sanitation.”

Christopher Mabe, president of the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, the union
representing prison employees, said the private food-service contract should be reconsidered.

“Not only has it weakened prison security, but now there are health and safety violations that
could cause serious health risks,” Mabe said. “Enough’s enough. We need to pull back this contract
before it’s too late.”

The food issue agitated inmates at Marysville so much that the staff at the women’s prison had a
“town-hall meeting” to discuss it, Smith said. The state also asked the Union County Health
Department to inspect food operations.